RavenGames News Archives

September 2003

Mistress Angel brings us the Forest Sanctuary. Created originally in Jedi Outcast, she has modified her map to also work in Jedi Academy. I tested to make sure, and indeed, the map works flawlessly in both games. This map is very expansive. The main spawn area is one small, enclosed room which has numerous teleports that lead to the various areas in the map. Every room in this map is fit for a large FFA, or numerous duels. And most areas have the hazard of lava or a pitfall.
One room contains a large, circular platform, which is floating over lava, and is surrounded by many more small circular platforms. One gets the vibe of a “trial arena” sort of area. The trainer and trainee duel in the middle platform, while members of the clan or whatever watch from the smaller circular platforms.
In another area, you will be confronted by a small maze of platforms over lava which deals death instantly. I didn’t really see a point at first, but spend a little time in here, and you’ll find something semi-hidden.

In the third of the four rooms, you are dropped into a small building overlooking what appears to be a shrine area, with a large statue and pond in the center. This area has three more doors. The door directly behind the statue leads to a large, jungle area. The left door leads to a small, dimly lit room with a large fire in the center. Reminds me of the old days back in boy scouts. Take the right door to find a cantina, with… mmmmm…. Ysalamiri roasting over an open flame, and plenty of alcohol!

The fourth and final area leads to another trial arena-like area, with another large, floating platform in the center, and a balcony surrounding it, instead of smaller platforms around the large one. There is also a small, windowed room where more people can sit and watch the duelers, or FFA’ers.

(News comments and review by Lord Griever)

Check it out at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Not many Elite Force maps really catch my attention as much as Battlestation did. What can I say, the perfect blend of Voy1, Voy2 and Faceoff mixed with some originality and creativity (and for once, not a horrendous cut and paste job of Raven map files).

The map is fairly large and has all the good things of the 3 mentioned maps which give rise to some fast and engaging games. The entire map is pretty much open, though you can find spots to duck such as the bunkers or inside the main base. The map felt a bit remniscent of Vor1 with the flags out in the open and the two walkways on the sides and one walkway going down. If you can't pull off some of the fancy tricks of climbing up the bunker or photon jumping, you can always rely on the transporters to get you around.

Take a look at Elite Force Files.

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The very first map sent in for Jedi Academy! The first thing I have to say about this map in¡K wow. The second thing is¡K wow. This map could have come with the game the quality of it is so good. The map is titled ¡§The Eternal Lair of Ragnos¡¦ Disciples.¡¨ Even that sound like it could be from the game. This map consists of four basic parts. There is a main room, and three hallways branching off it. The first thing I noticed when I entered this map was the architecture. It was so amazing I felt like crying over the fact that not in a million years could I produce such quality. The columns spiral upward to a detailed ceiling (see pictures). Now we walk down a curved arched hallway with a very nice doorway (see other picture ƒº) entering the first area, which happens to be outdoors. Unlike some outdoor areas that are blocky and unrealistic, this one looks almost perfect. The ground is rocky and cracked with lava flowing far below. There is a broken column creating a bridge across a gap in the long winding path leading up to what looks like an ancient Greek or Roman temple. Inside a statue sits on a giant throne and the lights (another great part of this map) shines through holes in the ceiling. Next we return to the main hall, and go down the second passage. This leads to yet another outdoor area. This one consists of a huge pit of lava, with the only way across being to jump from rock to rock above the lava. On the other side of the pit, there is a smaller (yet still huge) room with some more of the cool spirally columns. We return once again to the main hall, and take the final passage. This leads to a small crossroads with four doorways. Above each is a colored gem, yellow, blue, red. Two of these doorways lead to lava rooms, and one to an ice one. This is the final passage I found and so ends the map. Still those parts are more than enough to make this perhaps the best map I have seen, for JK2 or 3. The architecture, lighting, music, and atmosphere of this map are great. Period.

This map is wonderful. I absolutely love it. This map is a MUST download, no buts, no excuses, no anything. If you don¡¦t download this map after you¡¦ve read this review, I will come and hunt you down and eat you . I would be very surprised if this map didn¡¦t go into most rotations. Its great atmosphere and good game play make it perfect for most any server. Awesome work, its maps like these that make my day, month, week, and year happy. I hope this is the first of many great maps from Desostros, and other members of the JK3 Community.

(News comments and review by DeathBringer)

Go get it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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The new version of JEEL's SpecOps realistic mod for Soldier of Fortune II was just released! It has lots of new features and improved ones:

-Subjective view:

*Like in regular game , you can play in first person shooter.
*Some parameters are modified in game for the rendering view, weapons are closest.

-3dview and First view:

*Configure with the menu your favorite key to use First or Third view.
*You can rotate this 3d view and reset the 3d view (three new bind key +yawL, +yawR, +yaw0 ).
*You have also 3 camera position +cam1,+cam2,+cam3,+cam4 , bind them manualy in cfg file ( default is F9,F10,F11,F12).
*This view give you more visibility, mandatory for the future of this game.
*The crosshair is replaced by a laser spot designator, computed in real time, you see exactly where you are aiming, and you shoot!

-Scoped weapons and Silenced weapons:

*Why scoped and silenced weapon? In modern combat, specialists are always equipped with scope and silencer , best accuracy and lethal action.
*AK47, MP5, M4 are equiped with scope, external 3d models are new in this mod.

-Items:

*Player is equipped with kevlar armor by default
*You can use night vision or thermal vision like item.
*Binoculars ( todo)
*Grenades , only 4 models are usable. M67, M84, ANM14, M15.
*M15 smoke grenade have two role, smoke or , toxic gaz
*Gaz mask to proctect you , put it on , and remove it after chimical attack!

And lots of others...

For more information and downloads check JEEL's homepage.

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While some maps can be perfect in utter simplicity due to great gameplay, there are some maps which require something more than a kicking tune to get it up off the ground. So it goes with the FFA Snafu map we’ve got here today. AAW*s.n.a.f.u.* sends us this map submission, and while the potential is there for a truly stellar experience a bland look and uninteresting level design really prohibit it from ever actually taking place.

There’s no new textures, just a very blah grey metal everywhere offset but some dodgy looking black walls I’ve seen elsewhere. The whole metallic appeal to it is just boring, nothing that makes it stand out from anything at all…just the same old same old you know? There’s a load of weapons floating about on the middle side areas of the map, at least munitions are easy to come by! The upper most level is a flat plain that keeps you boxed in with those same black walls. A fine area for mass destruction and what not, but all the same it’s very blah.

The tell tale bounding bot syndrome sadly holds true with this map as well as there’s not any bot support. That could have upped the map’s usefulness up quite a bit, and I’ve gotta say it…start including bot support for maps! Please! It’s always a good idea no doubt about it.

Now there’s one thing that does set this map apart from the rest…the music. A screaming guitar track that while not really suitable to this map, is still in its own right very cool. I think I sat there and listened to it for a good five minutes before checking out of the map itself…which is what you might find yourself doing it you decide to download this map.

(news comments and review by -=Sai-Wan=-)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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The name of this new multiplayer map for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix come from the author concept of it: "A Mixed Map With Great Sniper Areas And Close Combat Mixed Into one..."

It was developed by Kungen supporting capture the flag and infiltration gametypes with up to ten players.

You can grab it at SoF II Files.

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Remember when Star Wars games sucked? I do. Sure, there have always been a few worthy titles in the franchise, but then again there has always been plenty of crappy pod racing games as well. It seems George “Jar Jar Binks” Lucas and company are finally starting to wise up, releasing Star Wars branded games that perfectly compliment the films and other assorted media. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the latest Star Wars game to come down the pipeline and like its Jedi Knight predecessors it manages to up the watermark substantially. Taking all the great things from Jedi Outcast and expanding on most of them exponentially, Jedi Academy is certainly worthy of the Star Wars name.
This time around you’ll play as Jaden, a fresh-off-the-production-line Jedi recruit. Sadly, Kyle Katarn from Jedi Outcast is not the protagonist, but he does stand in as a well-learned teacher at the academy along with the legendary Luke Skywalker. While you have no choice but to be Jaden in Jedi Academy, you are able to customize Jaden’s characteristics at the beginning of the game. Jaden can be male or female, human or alien, and can also sport different garbs and facial additions.

You can read the whole review at Worthplaying.

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Mithran brings us his very first map in the form of Yavin Training Spot. Sit tight, because I am going to dissect this to pieces (as an experienced mapper it is my solemn duty ^_^). I promise to be gentle!

Ok. Loading up the map, we see that there's only one major problem...and it's that it's not big enough for huge FFAs. But it's so PERFECT for duels (and small FFAs). There is some z-fighting in some places, and there a slight problem with the water fall (it's visible through the water shader at several points) as the water itself kind of ends too soon and doesn't go into the rocks at one point. That doesn't stop this from being a very good first attempt, and a very intuitive first attempt it is.

There is only one major beef, and that is on my computer (very high end) I get around 80fps or so throughout the map. The fire effects (which are very nice) drop that by about 60%.

Mithran, you're on a great first start. This is the first map I've seen that utilizes full lighting and DOESN'T have horrible lighting (well, besides our own Force Master ^_^)...and is an excellent try for a first-timer. Get moving on your second so that we can see some great things from you!

(news comments by Chrono)

You can find it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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I’m not a huge fan of the single-player game. I went through it once, and I was happy. Then I get this Matrix mod from Dr.X called The Matrix Remodded. Well, I’m a Matrix fan so I thought I’d give it a look.

Once you bust open the readme, you see that a lot of items have been changed. The usual character conversions are here, Kyle and Neo, Jan and Trinity, the usual Matrix stuff. The StormTroopers are now robots. All kinds of cool stuff. The blaster pistol is now a regular pistol, the blaster rifle is now a machine gun, the disruptor rifle is a rifle and the lightsaber has been changed into a sword. In addition to the new models, Dr.X also threw in some new animations. There’s a new roll and different saber stances. All these and more can be found in the readme, which includes all the readmes for all these items.

Had a couple issues though. First and foremost was the sound. I’m not sure what the problem is exactly, but whenever I play this mod my sound gets severely messed up. The voices become choppy and the sounds start to lag. This is most noticeable with the new weapon models. The pistol sound comes long after it’s been fired. Since I don’t play with the music on, sound effects are very important to me and this was very distracting. Secondly, if you don’t take this out of the base folder it will completely change everything you know and love in multiplayer. Saber stances, acrobatics, weapon and skins will all be set to the way they are in the new single-player. If you take it out of base, you’re good to go, but it can be something of a nuisance to have to do that every time. It’s also pretty big. At 13 megs I don’t think it’ll be popular with many of the 56Kers out there.

If you want another Matrix mod or are just in the mood for another challenge give it a download. It’s pretty fun to play through single-player again, especially when it’s got a new twist to it.

(news comments and review by Daku)

Go get it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Botany Bay makes its appearance in The Original Series as the ship that was launched from Earth in 1996 carrying Khan Noonien Singh.
Compared to the actual ship model for the series, Gigon has made a pretty close looking rendition of the Botany Bay. The entire map is low grav, and takes place solely on the ship's hull. Due to this being a relatively small ship it restricts the number of players to 2 (though I think 4 people *might* be able to squeeze in).

Only 2 weapons are available: IMod and Compression Rifle. Both excellent choices for a map of this size and type! It features new textures, new sounds and a nice bot support.

Take a look at Elite Force Files.

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So you’re in the middle of a big battle and you’re winning. You’re up by 20 points and the game is nearing an end but you get an IM. You get a bunch of IMs. They’re urgent and they need to be taken care of immediately. What do you do? How can you get to the program without popping out of the game and losing all your hard-earned points. Well, I’ll tell.

We now have the utility everyone has been waiting for, a minimizer for Jedi Academy. It works in single player it works in multiplayer. It works everywhere you want it to work as long as it’s in Jedi Academy. The hotkeys are customizable, as would be expected, and everything seems to work perfectly. So start your downloads now because I have a feeling this one is going to popular. Have at it.
(news comments by Daku)

Check it out at Jedi Knight II Files.

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This is a very nice medium sized DM Map for Soldier of Fortune II based on a container base, there are plenty of places for you to hide and lie in wait for your next frag, there are a number of towers for you snipers out there to use and pick off your enemy, loads of places to climb, and fences have doors in them to give you easy access to the whole map area, this map supports DM, Team DM game types only and will host up to 20 players, anymore and it will soon become overcrowded. A good all round map that should suit you DM lovers.

Developed by [BLACKHAND]Heads-uk for the Blackhand Clan.

You can find it at SoF II Files.

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Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy isn't exactly a sequel to last year's Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. Greater than a mere expansion pack, but not as evolutionary as a traditional sequel, Jedi Academy might best be termed an enhancement. Despite a new protagonist to follow, and a new evil plot to thwart (or join), the engine, combat, controls and practical feel of Jedi Academy is nearly identical to its immediate predecessor save one important distinction. Where Jedi Outcast sought to tell an epic tale of a hero's self-discovery, Jedi Academy is all about hitting things with a lightsaber. At once Jedi Academy is blatantly reminiscent of Jedi Outcast, but happily, a notable departure from frustrating jumping puzzles and too long spent with only a blaster at your side.

Jedi Academy's venerable pedigree is on an order of complexity one might expect from a royal family. Despite the direct line that can be traced to Dark Forces, Jedi Academy is related only in name; the first in the series that doesn't put the player into the role of former mercenary, twice jedi, Kyle Katarn. Like its predecessors, Jedi Academy borrows the best of what's come before and trims the chaff, which mitigates the occasional feeling that you've done this all before. And, that sense of familiarity is, at times, palpable.

You can read it all at Gamers with jobs.

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This is a very nice map indeed, the game play is based on the theme of an Aircraft Carrier out at sea, the play area is on the small side but different levels of the ship make up for it. There are loads of places to explore and lie in wait for your next kill.

The map supports DM TDM INF Elim CTF game types and will host up to 32 in total players. This is a good allround fun map and should do well on servers. Go download it now at SoF II Files and test it for yourselves!

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The [DT] Clan map, by Flyguy, consists of one large office style building, and a couple smaller ones nearby outside. This is apparently a map for [DT] clan members to train in. The office building consists of a lobby floor, and then has an elevator that takes you up to a bunch of different dueling chambers. Towards the top there’s an indoor shooting range with targets and all the different weapons to practice with. Outside are some different areas to tone you JK2 skills. These include two obstacle courses, and some shooting ranges with some nice moving targets to practice accuracy, there are also towers along the edge of the map that make beautiful sniping spots . All these different areas except the gyms can be gotten to on the ground, or through glass tunnels overhead. Besides this being somewhat blocky, and having some unaligned textures, the only major problem is the lack of bot support. Even this isn’t that big of a deal in this case though since a map like this is mainly going to just be used for a clan to hang out on anyways, not for bots.

This map is not much to look at, being rather blocky, and having more than a few unaligned textures, but I like the concept of it, and it has really fun game play. I would recommend this map not only to the [DT] clan, but to anybody with a smaller server that needs a map to hang out on into the late hours of the night...
(news comments by DeathBringer)

You can find it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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This is the Orange Smoothie Productions server side and client side OSP beta. To install make an OSP folder in your Soldier of Fortune II directory and unzip all the files to it.

Fixes, features and changes:

- fix: fixed intermission awards serverside
- fix: fixed inactivity kicking during the intermission awards
- fix: bbq on someone who is dead would cause problems
- add: intermission awards for 7 categories(kills, headshots, grenades, knives, ratio, skill, damage), enable/disable with g_awards cvar.
- fix: prevent cvarcheck on cvars that contain the word password
- fix: intermission scoreboard wasnt displaying correct information
- add: new admin command bbq, burn someone on your bbq!
- add: logging dropping of gametype items like flags, briefcase, who killed the gametype item carrier, also happened either the two players were on the same team or not
- add: logging, kill now appends the hitlocation (refer to the code to know which is which) to the kill log line (for example, head is = 1024), also appened wether the two player were on the same team or not.
- add: new vote, pistolsonly: the next round in round gametypes will be played using only pistols.
- add: new vote, knivesonly: the next round in round gametypes will be played using only knives.
- chg: briefcase icon in simplehud now just changes sides when picked up (instead of drawing the X and ? versions)
- fix: afk time in kick votes should now work correctly.

You can get it at File Planet or check the Orange Smoothie homepage here.

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Would you like to create your very own dedicated Jedi Academy server, running on fast servers with a fast connection, but without all the maintenance and high bills that come with it, just a couple of clicks and your off gaming?

Then I've found what you are looking for: SeeMePlayMe. SeeMePlayMe is an online community which provides the ability to create your own dedicated games server, running on the servers of SeeMePlayMe. But not only that, a list of public games-servers, cam/voice chat, keeping up with buddies, a pager for fast instant messaging...SeeMePlayMe has everything, and it's all packed in one easy to use piece of user-friendly software, a client.

It's not like GameSpy, GSA doesn't host games, they only let you search for games. It's what Mplayer used to be, if you can remember.

Not only can you play Jedi Academy on SMPM, but also:

-Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
-Soldier of Furtune 2: Double Helix
-America's Army (100% free download of the full version available at SeeMePlayMe)
-Battlefield 1942 : Desert Combat
-Descent 3
-Half Life : Day of Defeat
-Medal of Honor
-Quake I, II and III
-Quakeworld
-Rainbow Six : Raven Shield
-Unreal Tournement 2003
-Wolfenstein : Enemy Territory (100% free download of the full version available at SeeMePlayMe)

Lots of more games and features will come in the future, SeeMePlayMe will always try to get the best for their users. So all you gamers, and especially the JEDI ACADEMY players, download SMPM now and enjoy a new experience of online gaming... Not only search for a game to join , but create and moderate a dedicated server, running of SeeMePlayMe's highbandwidth servers.

You can check SeeMePlayMe homepage here, download the SeeMePlayMe free software and go to a live help chat, IRC through a JAVA applet. You can take a look at the SeeMePlayMe forum here or check the online guide here. If you still got any questions after that, you can always mail SeeMePlayMe support.

To get started after you have downloaded and installed the software and created an account:
-When you've logged on to SeeMePlayMe you see a list of game lobbies, tournament/ladder game lobbies, chat lobbies and a help lobby. Select your Favorite game, you enter the lobby. You can now either select to play a game from the public-server list or go to the private section of that game to create a private server( public/private buttons, left top). In the private section select "create room", enter a room name, password if desired and a URL for a website to be displayed in the room, click ok and you will enter your room, now select game settings, set up the game the way you like it and click ok, now click ready and launch to go directly into the game. If you like to cam/ voice-chat before or after you go into the game, simply click the "CAM" tab, allow SMPM to let your cam and/or mic to be used with the SeeMePlayMe Chat software, then click "TALK" to talk!

Have fun!

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The walkthrough contest for Jedi Academy has ended. Check back in a couple of days for the walkthrough.

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JK2Review has changed its name to Map-Review.com to take into account its aim of now reviewing levels for both Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy, expect a site re-design to be unveiled very soon. To help mark this name change, they have an interview set up by SunBurN with Ford Dye, one of the Raven designers who worked on Jedi Academy. The interview looks at some details on Raven's methods when designing the game, as well as some of the features that will be avaliable to editors mapping for Jedi Academy with the release of the editing tools:

-Can you compare the Radiant mapping experience from JK2:JO with the .ase/.obj picomodel mapping experience of JA?

Ford: Well JK2:JO did not allow the designer to use .ase files, and compared to JA there were very few mapobject models used. JA fully supports .ase models, misc_models, static models, and misc_model_breakables for your mapping pleasure :)

-How difficult will it be for users without the benefit of a software package like 3DStudioMax to utilize these features?

Ford: Well, no harder than the process encountered in JK2:JO. If you can build models in the .md3 format with your package then you are set, but if you want to make .ase files you will be limited to certain model packages like 3dsMax. Designers are not required to use .ase models at all, and they are just there to expand the designer's options. For instance, .ase models can be set to auto-clip without the designer having to make a specific shader since clipping can be set in the model itself.
With the new tool set, the designer can also scale all of the model formats listed above allowing a great deal of design opportunities, without having to make multiple versions of each model.
There is a new challenge when it comes to using a lot of models for detail, however. The Q3 engine does not allow for model instancing, so the designer has to be just as careful as before about how many are placed in view at any given time.

You can read the whole interview here and check the new Map-Review website here at Ravencommunity.net!

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2Walls takes on the L-shape layout like KLN1. The map is essentially divided into 3 square areas. Each area divided by a large wall. At the foot of both walls are a few jumppads which throw you over to the other side. However, this is not the only way to get to the other side. Two paths at the bottom sides go under the walls taking you straight to the base (though not inside).

In each base is a 2-level structure cut inside the main wall. It's a pretty one-sided way to get to the top which involves running to one side, using a jumppad to get to the next level, run to the other side and then use another jumppad to get to the top.

It features new textures, new sounds and bot support and can be found at Elite Force Files.

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This is a very nice map again from DeaD MaN WalkinG, some very nice weather effects come free of charge read the readme for full instructions. The map is based on a winter theme so get your ice skating practice done. The map has three buildings for you to hide in and a couple of towers for you budding snipers to make use of, the map supports DM TDM CTDM game types and will host 2 to 20 players:

A medium sized map designed for both sniping and close combat. There are 3 islands. A Red base,a Blue base and a neutral building! Go give it a try at SoF II Files and see if you like it.

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CTF Moria is a small CTF map based loosely (and I use the word loosely very loosely), on the Mines of Moria. It consists of 3 basic parts, the main fighting room, the red maze, and the blue maze. The main room has what could be called a “modern” resemblance of Moria. It has the long tall gray stone pillars, and a dark frightening look of it toward the edges, but besides this there is no major resemblance. For one there is an elevator that takes you up to a glass sniper pad floating in midair. It’s not very Moria-like but since it makes for great sniping, I won’t complain. Next there is a bridge that leads over a canyon that divides the two sides. It’s a lot of glass, and metal textures, once again not very Moria-like. Lastly are also two elevators, which take you down to… nowhere… apparently. Well actually it leads to a passage that leads to the other side of the main room but since it takes about 20 minutes less just to walk across the main room, I don’t really see the point. Then there are the “mazes”, one for each team. The “maze” is basically a couple different passageways that lead to dead ends, and one that leads to a flag room, total 30 seconds to get through.

I guess when I look at it compared to some its ok, but personally I have seen better work from Flyguy. I guess I was just expecting better. I don’t see much that I haven’t seen before. There are no new textures, it’s rather blocky, it’s the same old average type of map I see all to often. Still don’t get me wrong, this map isn’t horrible or anything. It does have bot support, and some nice music. Personally I wouldn’t play this map, but if you’re bored of all the maps you have, and you just want something new for a little while, then you might want to take a look at this.
(news comments by DeathBringer)

You can get it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Jedi Academy is the latest installment in the highly acclaimed Jedi Knight franchise. In the last offering of the series, the excellent Jedi Outcast, Kyle Katarn and Luke Skywalker busted up some dark Jedi who called themselves the Reborn. This time around Kyle is a Jedi Master. His job is to teach the new Padawan recruits arriving at Luke’s Jedi Academy. Unfortunately we don’t get to play as Mr. Katarn this go round. Instead players take the reigns of Jaden. A powerful and promising new recruit who even manages to construct a new lightsaber from scratch. Oh yes the force is strong with Jaden, and Kyle agrees to help teach the young student and provide guidance.

During your arrival on Yavin 4 where the Academy is located, dark forces are awry. Tavion, who some of you may remember from Jedi Outcast, returns with a sinister plan to wipe out the Jedi for good. She is hell-bent on resurrecting a five thousand year old Sith named Ragnos. Sure Ragnos is dead, but Tavion has a powerful darkside force wielding staff that just might do the trick. Tavion and her minions who call themselves the Cult of Ragnos, go racing around the galaxy to force sensitive planets. The Ragnos staff/scepter sucks up this force and when the two are combined-look out. So its up to the Jedi to stop the evil once more as the guardians of the galaxy.

Something to note here. If you love the Jedi Knight series, but you haven’t bought Jedi Academy yet because you were waiting to read a review to see if the franchise still has life in it, then please read no further. Run to your local EBX and purchase this game because it is an ass-kicker. That’s right. Go now, you will not be disappointed. Still not convinced? Well by all means read on about this small box of gaming goodness.

You can read it all at GameZone.

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Beached is an incredible new map for Elite Force where a large cargo ship has sunk into a rocky terrain. Most of the inside of the ship is filled with water. Inside you will find various crates that habour a pickup or two. The way outside is through a hole punched into the side of the ship's hull which then leads to the main deck. The inside and outside areas of the ship are divided by a cage so effectively they are two separate areas though you can still see what's happening in the other side.

The outside terrain work seems pretty well done (except that caulk should have been used on the many unseen surfaces)! Looks pretty realistic to me. The ship is little blocky and simplistic, it would have been nice to some detail like pipes or more debris or something. Other than that I thought it came out pretty well.

It features new textures, new sounds and new models with a great bot support!

Check it out at Elite Force Files

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Based in a starbase/starship, this map offers some quite frantic shooting at times. There are many dark corners to ambush uncarefull players. Overall the map is a bit dark,but it does adds some atmosphere.

The graphics at some point prove to be too much for low-end systems, that's why there's a little warning in the readme "Map Known Bugs : brushes disapearing, BSP is 24 mo, so 128 ram can't run it, sorry..."
Supporting the team gametypes only, this will be a tactical map, so get organised and get fragging!

You can get it at SoF II Files.

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Jan Ors *sigh* Oh how she has been good to us over there years…hehe. LOL alright down to business as usual . Aeris has skinned a simply adorable version of Jan for his friend Tixen to which the skin is named after. If you somehow helped Aeris with the creation of this file, or managed to lend him a hand somewhere along the way you get some serious props in the Read me which is something I love to see. (Heart Warming)...

This skin is done with some style, not anything over exaggerated, but just enough to make it a worthy download. Now while I’m usually a stickler for variety in skin submissions, the default skin is different enough to warrant the team colors being colorized duplicates, one of the few times I let this slide, simply because I think it looks really cool. There’s a very cool insignia on the back of each skin changing colors as it should with team color selections from red to blue, and the default is shaded in a light green. The red top has the name Tixen across the front chest area, and the choker changes color with team skins too, as do the goggles. These little areas of detail are really important when submitting a skin, and I’m glad Aeris took the time to take care of these little things.
(news comments by -=Sai-Wan=-)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Ever wanted to just go on a rampage and blast everything around you with complete and utter disregard for strategy? Thanks to Dark Maul, that ability now exists. But, strategy is necessary, to some extent at least. This mod, aptly named Rampage, gives Kyle, as well as all other NPCs (besides Lightsaber wielding enemies) repeaters. But these aren’t just ordinary repeaters. These are repeaters with infinite ammunition and an insanely fast rate of fire. We’re talking complete craziness. When you pull that trigger and the gun starts firing there is pretty much no stopping it. It really is tons of fun. The mod also reduces all NPCs health to 1 point. Thanks to this, firing upon a large group of enemies makes them drop like flies and is oh-so-fun to watch.

In addition to the main mod, Dark Maul has also included a couple mini-mods that I feel fit very well with the game. The first changes the repeater to a red shade. It looks very nice without looking too out of place. The second mod changes the Heads-Up Display to the same shade as the repeater. Now, I’m a huge fan of red, so I think I’m going to go ahead and keep that around for a long time. For those who aren’t fans of these new red items, the mod has been split into two .pk3s for easy removal of the offending items. He has also included some new sounds. They aren’t spectacular, but I never see anything wrong with trying something different.

Because of the ease of the game with the repeater, I don’t feel this has too much replay value, but it’s more than worth a download. That’s when it really gets fun. Of course, it doesn’t really get fun until you turn the difficulty up to the top notch. Energy blasts fly all over the place, making it hard to see at times. I can’t say I’ve had this much fun with a single-player mod in a long time. Excellent job!
(news comments by Daku)

You can find it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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A really detailed map featuring the Deep Space 9 episode Trials and Tribble-Ations...Sadly the DS9 part is pretty small. But the whole thing is so detailled... many tribbles everywhere. Step on it to make them cry. You can blow some of them! There are also many diferent sounds you can trigger. They all come from the original episode.

The Enterprise bridge is also pretty nice, but there is no Defiant bridge. Sure the 24Mb worth the download. It's amazing eye candy. Go get it at Elite Force Files!

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This time we got a very nice medium/large map for Soldier of Fortune II supporting DM, CTF, INF, ELIM, DEM gametypes and will host 8-24 (24 spawns max) players.

This map has loads of places to explore, above and below ground, loads of buildings for you to play hide and snipe in, well worth downloading and adding to your map collection. Should do very well on servers.

You can pick it up at SoF II Files!

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Lassev brings us two single player maps for Jedi Outcast, and an awesome work, may I add. The first map starts out with that all the familiar Star Wars welcome screen, nice understanding of scripting Lassev! Then after the cutscene you start out in the lighthouse basement. I love his cutscenes by the way. But anyways....you start in the basement, if you set the alarm off.. all these machines attack you, then you trick this guy into unlocking you. Awesome job!

The Second one is called a Lighthouse, his 1.2 version. You start out walking into this building where two Grans fight each other, then you go down this elevator and fight these Stormies. He's also managed to keep the FPS up high, I was averaging 60. But anyways, there is a fight arena where you invade. I really like his sky he made, very nice touch!
(news comments by ReVan)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files!

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Our friend Redrum from The rEdrUm's mdk is in the process of testing a new site for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix:

"I am in the process of adding all the download links to the new site. You can view it here. This is a totally new look which my buddy Foxhound and I have put together. So feel free to browse sign up or whatever. There will be no forums there even though you might see a link referring to that. Still lots of work to do and links to add. I am learning as I go."

It looks great Red, give it a go!

Check it out at rEdrUm's mdk!

(Source: Mods Online)

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The Star Wars universe is made up of sequels and prequels. Think about it, you have two sequels after the original movie premiered back in 1977, then three prequels over 20 years later. The books are non-stop, taking side stories that date back to the origins of the Jedi, shift ahead to Han and Leia's kids, and then back again to side stories when the original Star Wars movies came out.

And the video games…the cult classic was of course the arcade version of Star Wars, with some cabinets shaped to look like an X-wing cockpit. The classic vector-drawn shooter was a hit, and in some places of the world you can still find this game working as perfect as it did the first day it was turned on. Sadly, the Star Wars video game franchise didn't really take the arcade machines by storm. The elusive Return of the Jedi speeder bike cabinet was seen about as much as Bigfoot. The arcade portion of the market was recently revived with the release of Special Editions for Episodes 4, 5, and 6. They came out with the big screen sit-down shooter that allowed you to pilot an X-wing, snow speeder, speeder bike, and if you were really good, duel with Boba Fett and Lord Vader. Then it of course led to a big screen pod racing game, and shortly after an Episode I pinball machine.

Well, like most of the SW saga, things tend to get really good. Then, when they're at their highest, fade away. Jedi Knight came out in '97, then for awhile there was a gap before Jedi Knight II hit the markets in May of 2002. At the time Jedi Knight was hot on the market, people were buying it up, as it was the most high-end game at the time. This time, the saga of Kyle Kattarn was re-visited with incredibly enhanced graphics and a terrific new fighting engine that shows how crazy you can get with a lightsaber. This game kept me up until the wee hours of the night as I breezed through the game, eager to find out just what happens. Now, the highly anticipated sequel to the best 3rd person game on the market has finally come, and I got a chance to check it out!(...)

For the most part, Jedi Academy has a lot of the elements that exist from Jedi Outcast: the controls are the same, interface is equally the same, the layout of the status indicators during game play are the same…the same ingredients used to make Jedi Outcast a hit were brought over to the latest incarnation, with some changes to enhance graphics, as well as user interaction.

Firing it up for the first time was a treat, as always. That little guy in the LucasArts logo busted out his double-bladed lightsaber, deflected some blaster shots, electrocuted the source of those blaster shots, then went back to being the little incognito logo he is…. or she is…..whatever.

A very interesting review written by Richard ' Rich' Marcoux II at Game Shark.

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When it was announced that Ravensoft had an X-Men RPG in the works, geeks around the world squeaked in delight. For those of you less 'in the know' on this upcoming game, it's called X-Men: Legends, and will combine our favorite freaks of nature with action Role Playing Game play.

Q.) What were the qualities you were looking for when deciding what characters would be used in the game? Some characters are obvious choices, such as Wolverine, while others (Forge, Marrow) were surprises.

A.) The character choices were based on a number of factors, including character popularity with the fans, mutant powers (and their potential effect on the gameplay, visual elements and the story), and personal favorites of the team members. Other characters have never really gotten "their due" in games to this point and we felt they deserved a chance to shine.

Q.) There has been a lot of confusion in response to the screens featuring the Ultimate X Men uniforms being used, considering that a few of the characters confirmed for the game (so far) are not alive, or X Men in the UXM comics. Are the uniforms all optional, or is it simply a mix of different interpretations of the team?

A.) The uniforms represent the updated Ultimate X-Men look and were done this way at the request of and with the approval of Marvel. For those characters who are either dead or not represented in the current Ultimate X-Men universe, we were given creative license to 'Ultimacize' their outfits and general appearance.

This interview, lead by Julian Law can be read at X-Men Hype.

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Here you have The Siege Turkish Assault! it's a very fun map to play with lots of action and it supports all gametypes. Its settings evolve around a base located in an area much like Turkey:

Developed by Twitch & Duhast the map now features some interesting changes:

-Corrected bad dm spawn where player would get stuck inside radar building.
-Added a ladder to opposite side of "radar" building.
-Added a few "cosmetic" tweaks.
-Added a new route to "fire-nade alley".
-Moved blue ctf flag because was too hard to capture and way too easy to defend before.
-Moved blue team spawns for above reason.
-Added a few more clip brushes.
-Some light models not being lit properly now corrected.

Its definitely worth a try, go get it at SoF II Files.

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When you first spawn into the Temple of the DRaGON map, you find yourself surrounded by a very bright and cheerful JK2 paradise. The water is as blue as blue can be and the lush landscape suggests a tropical setting. There's a bridge over the small river that leads to a large door. Before entering the building, I'm sure you are relaxed by the tranquil place you've just arrived at. Prepare yourself for the unexpected.

Once inside, I thought this must be a map of contrasts. While outside it was bright and sunny and made a nature-lover out of me, inside is a large, round room full of marble and fire. A river of red lava runs around the outside of the room (and possibly under). Enormous columns demand your attention, with large DRaGON murals spotlighted and hanging from two of the columns. Obviously this grand entrance is like a lobby of sorts, a meeting place for those who've come to see the clan and their leader. There are tables and chairs set up on the platform and a small podium just below for the speaker to address the council. Far in the back is a large and quite intimidating chair for their leader, the Empress. If you can tear your gaze away from the shiny and mesmerizing marble all around, you'll notice some nifty little transporter things.

Now, my favorite part about this whole map, besides the design in general is how the author handled music. Normally when I play a map, I don't listen to the music included because the loop of the same thing over and over is bound to drive anyone nuts. Look at what listening to "Country Roads" did to TMBJ! Anyhow, so I'm taking this tour with the author of the map and I hear lovely sound effects where I've spawned. So I turn up my sound effects and remember to move my music slider up as well. But I hear no music. So we get to the first room and I notice this little podium over on the side. It has a music note on it. Naturally, I run over and press the button. !!! Matrix-flavored music starts playing. We go to the next room and there's another podium there. Yup. New music. And the music stops when you leave the room, cause it's like, sound effects and stuff. OMG Yay! I've seen this done before but it seemed more like a novelty. In this map, it's like specialized duel music depending on what kind of duel you're in the mood for.

Night Shade's map reminds me a lot of other maps. I won't mention names of those other maps, but it's obvious that the author here was inspired by many different mappers. I have seen better maps before, I've played maps that I've had more fun playing, but can I just tell you guys something here? This is Night Shade's first map - EVER. I didn't notice any glaring errors anywhere. Sure, there were a few things I didn't like, but meh, there isn't one map out there that I like completely. For a first-time mapper ... no, I'm not gonna do that. This is a great map, period. I could totally see this map joining the rotation on many FFA servers out there. Fabulous job, Night Shade!

(News comments by AmosMagee)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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"Raven Software put together an arguably great game with Jedi Knight 2, their follow-up in the long-running Star Wars first person shooter franchise. And only a year and 3 months later, they have belted a new sequel out: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. While the series' main character, Kyle Katarn, plays a fairly big role in this game, you actually play as a new Jedi student. The question is whether Raven has added enough gameplay to warrant another $50 purchase.

Raven Software has been using the Quake 3 engine literally for years, and I hope that this is their last game using it. You can just tell that this game was made as quickly as possible, as many things haven't changed - I'm also guessing the decision for a quick sequel was a major factor in going with the same engine again. The game engine also includes no major new graphical features for Jedi Academy, which is disappointing considering the visuals we are seeing in other games today.

Raven has pushed the engine further than they ever have with Jedi Academy, which is good, but of course this means higher system requirements over JK2. For an engine that looks as drab as this, I really expected better performance overall. At the very least, Q3 is a very stable, compatible engine, so you won't have to worry about constant crashes or the like.
The official site's FAQ mentions all kinds of new engine enhancements, few of which seem to make the game look much better at all in my opinion. Ragdoll model support is at least in here, and is used just lightly enough on character models to make it worth having. Some games go overboard with the ragdoll thing, making characters fall totally limp as soon as they die. There are also burn marks that can show up anywhere on a character if they get hit by a lightsaber, which is actually a nice touch(...)"

A good review by Finger that can be read at TeleFragged.

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The Raven Clans Index has been updated after a delay of nearly two weeks. More than 25 new clans have been approved and added to the listings.

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It’s really unfortunate when a job goes unfinished. Such is the case with this map from –TNT- Raven. The –TNT- Academy was to be the base point for –TNT-‘s training operations and what not. But, since the clan folded, the map went uncompleted. But, even with this fact, Raven still found the urge to release his work so others could see what he’s done. I’m glad he did, because it is a decent map. I’d love to have seen what it would have been had it been completed.

This is an FFA map, there’s no questioning that. It consists of two simple rooms with hallways leading to each. The first room looks just like the Lightsaber Training map that comes with the game. The glass platform is there, the stepping blocks are there, it’s all there. Through a door across the way you’ll find a hallway which leads to another hallway which leads to what I believe to be the main gathering area. It’s a very nice room with giant pillars in the back, behind which you can see stars in the night sky. This is the perfect area for an FFA. Tons of room, no obstacles, just an absolutely perfect area for some all-out mayhem.

Everything in this map fits together very nicely. I find the lack of rooms to be disturbing, especially since it is obvious that this map could have been something truly amazing had it been truly completed. The signs are everywhere. Doors that don’t open seem to hint at rooms that were to have been. The absence of music also hints at incompleteness, but there’s always the possibility that the author wanted it that way. Either way, this is a good map. I don’t see it going into any major rotations, but it’s nice for a small server or for a group of people who want to get together and have a good time. I can only hope Raven will complete it. Maybe for Jedi Academy?
(news comments by Daku)

You can get it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Fans. Lots and lots of fans. Spinning, incessantly overhead. Ceaseless spinning. That would be the main focus of Metal Factory by Luuuke. This FFA map has plenty to do. Whether it be FFAing or attempting to get to the top of the giant, fan-filled tower, everyone who plays this map should have something to duel. The central point of the map is a giant silo-type tower. At your feet is a fan, underneath which is a special dueling room with a few surprises. Above are 80,000 giant fans, spinning in sync, ready to slice and dice anyone who comes near them. Well, maybe not 80,000, but there are a bunch of them. Circumventing the interior of this column are small platforms. These platforms lead to, guess where, the top. I can’t get to the top. The huge fans are much to crafty for me and they knock me off every time. But I feel this is a nice touch to what could be a rather bleak map.

The dueling area below the main floor is actually some type of mold. In the center of this floating platform is a vat of lava or melted metal. Whatever it is, it burns if you touch it, so stay away. Since it’s right smack in the center of the platform and small streams of the vicious liquid run toward the edges of the floor, it really adds that extra bit of challenged that could either make or break anybody’s duel. I really like that. One nice touch in this room is the author’s creation of a viewing area through the use of an item that would normally be there. It makes more sense to incorporate part of a metal factory then to just randomly have some strange platform floating in the room. I can really see that some thought was put into this piece.

Even though it’s a little small for a large FFA, I think the map has enough room to accommodate maybe 10 people or so. Any more than that and I think there may be some population issues, especially if people start spawning on top of each other. My only suggestion would be to perhaps make the map a little larger and add a couple more rooms. Having only two rooms and a giant tower of fans really isn’t sufficient for a good FFA map. It’s a good job, but I can’t wait to see more.
(news comments by Daku)

Check it out at Jedi Knight II Files.

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ProtonMatch is an Elite Force mod that converts some weapons and effects into black & white:

- some of the game textures
- some of the game interface
- All the weapons and ammo
- All items and icons
- Many effects (like explosion)
- Avatar, he is now on the proton side
- The map High_Noon
- The map War-Ring by me
- z_LODstdweapons by Grand Nagus

Developed by Eric (Gigon) Lessard it features:

- New zoom and communicator sound
- New freindly fire alarm sound
- Icon of ProtonMatch in .ico format

You can find it at Elite Force Files.

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Maddog brings us his personal skin, a wonderful reskin of the Darth Vader model by sithlord-II and Cheshire. It has team colors, new sounds, and bot support. Gone is the cape, the helmet, and chest box. The textures are rather well done, and the icon is really nice.

Even after the sad departure of ICoP and the release of Jedi Academy, it's always nice to see these skins released to the community...it allows you to put a personal twist on yourself, and allow others to see it.
(news comments by Chrono)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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The Skin Crypt has been greatly rehauled. Not only new graphics and skinner photos are to be viewed on the site itself, but also 3 new skins have been added by Mithgulwen. Be sure to check out the Skin Crypt!

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It seems that everytime a new model or great skin comes out, someone inevitably creates a single player mod, replacing Kyle with the Skin/Model-of-the-Moment. Of course, these mods are typically a waste of space, time and effort. In my humble opinion.
This SP mod for Jedi Outcast is a bit more interesting than just a replacement of Kyle. The authors did not try to assemble the characters from Episode 1 or 2 into the Jedi Outcast story. Instead, they wrote their own story to sort of, parallel the story of the game. The authors were incredibly detailed, giving background through personal files on the lead characters and even diary entries from a Jedi. Who knew a Jedi would keep a diary?

Not only is there an involved story going on here, there are many new skins. Kyle is now Chiss Merc - a reskin of the Kyle Mercenary skin. It looks great. And his sidekick, Jan is now a Chiss Mara. There are also Chiss Admirals, Troopers and Officers. Darth Mantis makes an appearance as Desann and the evil Tavion is replaced by Darth Spectre, a reskin of Padme. And much, much more!

To really appreciate this mod, you need to read everything that is included here. There's nothing new in the game at all except for the skins. So keep that in mind if you want to download this. I really like that they created their own story - it's too bad that they didn't put together a team who could help make this story come to life and give it its own maps and missions. But maybe, there are some of you out there who just might show some interest in doing just that for JK3 with the authors? Maybe? Hmmm. Anyhow, good job for what you had to work with guys.

(News comments by ~AmosMagee)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Here we have a great map for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix that supports the gametypes DM - TDM - CTF. It features a large warehouse with passages and a few offices:

It was developed by =|DCX|=DAK_666 and can be found at SoF II Files!

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This is a duel map by Ace-_Ventura for Jedi Outcast based on the DragonBall series. A small square map, it attempts to portray a floating duel platform in space. A large spike adorns each corner.
Ace acknowledges this is his first map. For a first-time, it's not bad at all. With a little more light, and a good skybox, this could be a great duel map.

It features new music, new sounds and new textures and supports Duel and FFA, you can find it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Well, that was certaintly quick, wasn't it? The first Jedi Academy multiplayer level made by a guy not from RavenSoft is here already, and it looks REALLY good. I cannot possible say much more than: Download it now! It's worth it!

So yeah, go download it HERE!!!

Oh, also be sure to keep an eye out for the PCGameMods Jk3 section, as it already features the level mentioned above, and two game mods: Jedi Academy RemixHud and a new Disruptor Rifle!

Ciao

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Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the fourth game in the Dark Forces series of games, which now ranks alongside Doom and Wolfenstein as one of the most venerable members of the first-person genre, even if it has shed the Dark Forces moniker. It marks a new direction for the series; after the events of Dark Forces, Jedi Knight, and Jedi Outcast, Academy is the first game in the series not to focus on the Kyle Katarn character; instead, for this game, you’ll be able to create and customize a character of your own.

In addition to the new character creation process, Jedi Academy offers a few new gameplay innovations, like a mission-based single-player storyline, new acrobatic moves for your Jedi, and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to choose dual-bladed or dual-wielded lightsabers. On the multiplayer side of things, Academy serves up 20 maps for its free for all, capture the flag, and duel gametypes, and offers up the new, objectives-based siege multiplayer mode.

The GameSpot game guide to Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is your one-stop resource for everything you need to know about the game, from the single-player walk-through (complete with every optional secret area), tips on dueling, using force powers, weapons, and even cheats. You may be a mere Padawan now, but this guide will have you on the road to Knighthood in no time.

Take a look at GameSpot.com.

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This is an FFA map for Jedi Outcast by Kaynehril, but so much more than most maps. Instead of relying on the ease of rectilinear shapes/brushes to create the environment, he has exploded with a much more realistic terrain, hearkening to Moria or some other deep cavern.

What can I say, but "Wow...". I know I seem to keep going on and on about this, but this map has "terrain". What's the big deal?, you might say. Simply this: it's rare, and it's realistic. Take 95-98% of the maps submitted and they all follow a simple boxy shape, with maybe a few curves thrown into the walls or ceiling for diversity. And although it doesn't have good lighting or anything besides the fundamentals (no bot support, etc.), I still give it a 9 right off. I realize bot support for this would be incredibly hard, but with a kickin' background soundtrack and adding CTF capabilities, this would instantly be at least a 10. Good luck with the updates, and get 'em in soon!
(news comments by JEDIofONE)

Check it out at Jedi Knight II Files.

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Rev Voy2 is a Reverse CTF map. Meaning that the red players start off in the blue base, and the blue players in the red base (flags stay in their own bases). The objective is now.. well.. reversed Each team must grab the enemy flag and attempt to cap it in the other base.

Quite an interesting idea, though I only played with bots(who played normally) it seemed like something fun. I hope this makes it to a server.. it's a small change, but I'd like to see how different it really makes the game!

Take a look at Elite Force Files.

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This is an interesting new deathmatch map for Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix, as its name states, it is a graveyard by night:

It was developed by Microboz for DM and TDM and 6 to 10 players.

You can find it at SoF II Files.

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Jedi Academy casts you as Jaden, a young Jedi recruit who finds himself (or herself) caught up in the battle against an evil Force Cult with ties to what’s left of the Empire. Unlike in Outcast, you get to choose your race, gender, and the hilt and color of your lightsaber—things which don’t affect much other than the look of your character, but which are cool just the same. Once you’ve chosen your look, you set out on your “training,” which boils down to going on missions and improving your Force powers one point at a time in between levels. This is no RPG, mind you, but what little bit of choice there is goes a long way toward investing you more in your character.

Other than the new story and customization options, Academy features a few tweaks to the old Outcast engine. You can now ride certain animals and vehicles like a tauntaun or a speeder bike, but these never quite control well enough to be much fun. Other things like improved character animation and area lighting are less noticeable, but they help make the game look a touch better than its older brother.

Academy gives you a lot more control over how you play than Outcast did, even letting you choose the order in which you play missions, but the levels themselves are more straightforward and less puzzle-ridden than Outcast’s jump-happy maps. Some levels are creative and fun, while others are just straight-line, kill-everyone missions. Even the “diplomatic” missions usually end up with you just killing 50, maybe 60 people.

You can read it all at GamePro.com.

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Yes, you heard it right - for writing a reasonably detailed walkthrough of the freshly released game Jedi Academy, you can choose from a number of prizes:

• either any one computer game,
• or any 3 DVD movies,
• or any number of products up to a total value of $10.

All prizes are to be chosen from RambOrc's Shop (over 100 products to choose from).

The walkthrough needs to describe every single map of the game in a reasonably detailed fashion (best you write up the walkthrough for one map and mail it to us to check whether it's OK). You don't need to format the text in any way, a simple TXT file is sufficient (just make a couple of extra lines between maps for easier overview).

Alternatively, you can make a very detailed walkthrough with screenshots (mail me first to discuss the number, size and format of the screenshots and the naming convention required). For such a walkthrough, the prize is to be doubled (any two games or any 6 DVD movies or anything for a total of max $20 from RambOrc's Shop).

The first acceptable walkthrough will get the prize, at which point I'll post a notice about the contest being ended. Anybody who up to that point has already gotten in touch with us about his/her walkthrough and finished at least 3 maps by that time, will receive a free DVD movie of his/her choice from RambOrc's Shop as compensation.

For a walkthrough completed before the end of September, an extra DVD movie (up to $9.99) or a computer game (up to $4.99) will be added as a speed bonus.

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Y'know, there are some maps out there that we just can't explain why we like them. They're just ... fun. And then there are maps that are just awe-inspiring ... visually stunning. Sometimes you get maps that successfully combine eye candy, fun gameplay and great FPS, but those are rare. RJ Sublime2 falls into the first category.
Most of the textures used here are monotonous, not many are custom and it's just not one of those maps that when you first spawn you hear yourself "Oooh" and "Aaahh". Don't get me wrong though, there are a few interesting things to look at here and there. I especially like the room with the columns. And the door used on the floor there. I love that texture.

If you allow yourself to explore the map a bit, you'll see that this map has great potential for a fun FFA map. Especially with weapons. But even saber only, you have a lot to work with. There are two very interesting rooms to duel in. One with rocks haphazardly thrown about the room, where you can duck behind a rock to avoid a swinging saber, or crouch down, with your saber off, then spring from a dark corner from behind a different rock and catch your opponent off guard. The other room of interest includes those bouncy trigger thingys all over the freakin' room. If you don't get a headache from all the jumping or puke first ... this could be fun for duels:

Something I noticed about this map is that it seems to have taken ideas from other maps that set the standard for this type of map. Did that make sense? No, I'm not saying the author stole anything here. It's definitely a unique map. But there's nothing innovative here. It's all been done before. Oh wait. Except the glass thing. It doesn't respawn, per se. But according to the readme, there is a way of getting the glass back! Read it, follow it's instructions and let me know if it works. I didn't test that part. Bottom line here, this is a fun map with great FPS everywhere. Not visually stunning, but some of my favoritest maps ever are far from eye candy. And some of my least favorite maps to play on look incredible, but aren't nearly as fun to play on. So, keep an open mind when trying this map, I think many of you will like it.
(news comments by ~AmosMagee)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files!

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Winnowing Hall is a conversion of sorts from Raven's Hexen game. It has a very ancient type of feel to it, with runes on the walls and the architecture. While you'll find a lot of weapons and ammo, I thought they were well placed so that the powerful ones aren't so easily accessible, and their respective ammos are not thrown in big masses around the map. The map utilises a number of breakable objects and glass windows which will give you access to different places, or harbour a pickup.

This is, indeed, a fun FFA map, it has good open areas yet enough structures to provide cover and divide the map. It has bot support, new textures, new sounds and new models! You can find it at Elite Force Files it is definitely worth the download!

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This is a very nice DM sniper map, its main features are 6 large towers, great to snipe from, access is made from teleports to the tower of your choice. The towers a quite high but falling the right direction will allow you to fall into the water, trouble is you die trying to get out..lol. There are also tunnels under the water for access to the other towers, but be quick cuz you'll get sniped

The map supports DM TDM CTDM only and the number of recommended players is 2 to 42, mind you 20 would be full enough. A good map to try out on your DM servers, and a must for all you snipers out there.

This is not a new map, but it seems to have been skipped here! You can find it at SoF II Files!

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Today's action-based Star Wars games are a few galaxies far, far away from their humble beginnings in the early nineties. They offer unprecedented levels of freedom during combat, where you can do almost anything you want with a simple blaster, the almighty lightsaber and a few neat force powers. All those stunts pulled off on the silver screen by top Jedi like Luke, Vader, Yoda, and Obi-Wan, can finally be performed in a PC game. Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast was the first game that showed radical progress in terms of lightsaber combat. It was also a successful combination of first-person and third-person action, flavored with a rich storyline and compelling characterization. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy successfully builds upon the gameplay in Jedi Outcast, offering a variety of new features, an involving and masterfully presented plotline, on top of many new planets to explore throughout the far regions of the galaxy.

Redesigning a few basics of the game, the developers have decided to go with a slightly different tale this time around. Reaching the rank of Jedi Master, Kyle Katarn, the main character from the previous installment, joined Luke Skywalker at the prestigious Jedi Academy to teach upstart force users how to harness their powers and become formidable Jedi Knights. As an eager young Padawan learner, you enlist into the Jedi Academy along with several other students, who are also willing to grasp their unique abilities and put them to use. Working under the tutorship of Jedi Masters Luke and Katarn all candidates must go through a few basic instructions before the initiation. After that each student is assigned to a number of missions. In order to advance in their training programs, all students are obligated to prove themselves as they face many deadly challenges - danger comes with the territory when you're a Jedi. As you'll discover through your journeys, the ways of the force can often be confusing, so it's going to be hard to distinguish the light side from the dark. How you conduct yourself during missions and in combat will determine your destiny… Draw your lightsabers, and let the training begin.

You can read the whole review at Actiontrip.com.

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Tday in GameSpy Arcade you can join the Action Wizards for the third qualifying round of a King of the Hill tournament in Jedi Knight II at 4 p.m. Pacific, midnight GMT.

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Since the full version of Jedi Academy isn't available everywhere yet, a lot of you people are still dependent on the demo - which seems to give trouble to many gamers. With our new Jedi Academy Demo Walkthrough you should be able to get through both demo maps with relative ease.

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This is a first-time duel map by FliX for Jedi Outcast. It is reminiscent of a dark club or dance room. Mostly black and white, with touches of red, there is a very suspenseful and tense feel. For a first-timer, FliX does a very good job. Heck, this would be good for an experienced mapper. I liked the floating platforms, as they made it fun to hop back and forth on them while trying to slash at my opponent doing the same thing.

I'd enjoy seeing an updated version with a bit more eye-candy, and all the "necessaries" (bot support, sounds, etc.) Give that left mouse button finger some exercise and download now!

Technical Data:

Pros:
1. Good use of the environment to create obstacles to dodge and utilize and not large brushes to stifle dueling.
2. Excellent color choice of neutral colors and hints of red gave it an evil and sinister overtone.

Cons:
1. No bot support, textures, sounds, music, or support of other game
types.

(news comments by JEDIofONE)

You can find it at Jedi Knight II Files.

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About a year-and-a-half ago Raven Software surprised the heck out of us with a little title called Jedi Outcast. It wasn't that Raven had made such a great game; we were used to that already from Elite Force and Soldier of Fortune. What really shocked us was how well they captured the license and designed a really solid game around it. And now that Raven has offered up a sequel, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, they've managed to strengthen many of the features of the previous game.

So I should just cut and paste my Jedi Outcast review and replace all the "greats" with "phenomenals," right? Well, not quite. While the title does many things better than Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy nevertheless comes with a few minor problems that bring entirely new frustrations.

One of the biggest changes is that you won't be playing as Kyle Katarn. I understand why Raven and Lucas opted to go with an entirely new character for the series but it's still hard to say goodbye to such an old friend. Still, it's better than a contrivance to get Kyle back to a weaker state to provide a compelling challenge and sense of progress to the game. I'm mollified somewhat by the decision to let players create their own character's appearance here but I can't shake the feeling that, since the character is created according to the player's preference, that we'll be seeing yet another character for Star Wars Jedi Knight: The College Years.

A very good review by Steve Butts that can be read entirely at IGN.com!

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The fact that there are a lot of confusing skinning tutorials floating around out there makes a submission like this a most welcome one. Through, from start to finish, explaining things from what you need to get to be a succesful skinner to the steps necessary for completing skins. While there isn't a plethora of information as far as beginners guides, this is spot on.

The steps that RaSiN HeCk goes through are easy to follow and worded well, the programs which are necessary to follow this skinning tutorial, ie packscape and winzip, are easy to get to though it might have been a good idea to include some links, and the tutorial makes good use out of explaning each step in logical progression.

Having read through this tutorial myself and have had some years put into skinning models and what not, it's safe to say RaSiN HeCk has his eyes out for the new skinners. More advanced skinning guides might be comming down the pike, but if you're new to the game then this is the way to go. If you're an experienced skinner pass this one up, you'd do better to find out how to start adding taunts and new sounds to skins if you need something new to work on.
(news comments by -=Sai-Wan=-)

Take a look at Jedi Knight II Files.

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This is a little map called Imperial Complex the Beta. Brought to us by Leviathan. I have to say, this is a very small map for a small ffa, VERY small, more suitable for a duel map. But anyways it is a very nice map, very nice understanding of Radiant.

You start out in a room with a glass floor with some plumbing it looks like (I have no idea...) With some platforms up above everything, very nice detail by the way Lev!
Then you have two small corridors leading to a small room, very nice and suitable for a duel or two Very nice map! Next time don't call it a ffa unless it has few more rooms.

You can download it at Jedi Knight II Files!

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There are dozens of Star Wars games on the market, but none captures the excitement of lightsaber combat as well as the Jedi Knight games. Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy is the third game in the series, or, technically, the fourth if you count 1995's Dark Forces, which didn't bear the Jedi Knight name (and didn't let you use lightsabers or Force powers, either). It is not a revolutionary product--as it uses the same Quake III engine and gameplay elements as last year's well-received Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast. It manages to take all the fun parts from its predecessor and greatly expands them to create an engaging, new action game in its own right.

You play as Jaden, the new protagonist in Jedi Academy. You previously played as Kyle Katarn, a strong yet reluctant Jedi, in the previous Jedi Knight games. Kyle has since joined Luke Skywalker as a teacher at the Jedi Academy and is looking for new students. You can actually customize Jaden's character. You can be male or female, choose from one of several different races, and wear different outfits. In any event, you also happen to be the most promising student in the new class. Apparently, you've even built your own lightsaber, which is highly abnormal as lightsabers are usually built during training.

You can read the whole review at Gamespot.com!

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Any of you out there played MoHAA? Remember the Stalingrad map? Then this is for you! This map is almost identical to the MoHAA map, and you know how much fun that is to play. This map supports all game types ctf,infi,dm,tdm..etc and will host 32 players, i think to cap off point should be around 20. The play area is made up from a "U" shaped building complex, that has sustained large amount of bomb damage, ideal holes and windows supply endless fun for all you budding snipers out there, loads of places to hide and lie in wait for your next victim.

This map will do very wel on servers and you all should have it in your mapcycles. A must download and well worth keeping in your growing map collections.

Go get it at SoF II Files.

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